Thailand One Big Retirement Home

[IanForbes]

But that is not my point. My point is old people in retirement centers regardless how affluent are not happy. They would be happy at home with the kids. They would be happy at home even if the kids were Thai.

They would be happy in a bar surrounded by people young enough to be their kids. That is my point.

Now ain't THAT the truth. My mother moved my father into an old folks home (along with herself) and within a year he was dead. He hated the place and just stopped eating. He basically wanted to die and just withered away. Mother died a couple years later in the same place. Myself and my siblings all lived in separate cities so there wasn't much we could do about it. My only wish is I won't be a burden on my children very long. An old single guy could do worse than pay some cute Thai woman to take care of him for his final few years, and she would be set for life with whatever remained of his finances. Who gives a rat's azz what happens to your money after you are gone. Assisted suicide is far more practical than the ridiculous situation we have in North America.

[Max2010]

For 10 years I ran a retirement center for millionaires. One of the requirements for moving in was liquid assets of at least one million US dollars. 400 people lived there. Retired, artists, writers, politicians, business tycoons, inventors. The list was impressive and in the library there was a biography of each resident. I read them all. The guy who graded Hillary Clinton's graduate thesis was there as well as the founder of public television and three of the primary engineers who made the first atomic bomb possible. There were people there who to settle an argument over lunch could have a phone brought to their table and get a direct connection to the White House. I have never seen so many people who had done so much and still had so much power even in their old age.

What wasn't there was happiness. One retired doctor, a famous brain surgeon, a Greek guy who had built a Greek Orthodox church (cost millions) could not get a ride to the church he built on Sunday's. He was never visited by his two sons, also doctors. He was very worried about his wife who had Alzheimer's. He was afraid his boys, the doctors, would not take care of her when he died.

Attached to the retirement center was a nursing home to care for the residents after hospital procedures or for any emergencies. We had four nurses for every patient.

Most nursing homes smell of piss. Ours didn't. The care 24/7 was the best money could buy. Still there was no happiness. The old people explained to me that rich folks are not the same as poor folks. They don't take care of their parents. They send them off to geriatric palaces, like I was managing to die and forget about them.

The old women didn't do too bad. The still played bridge and had cocktail parties. With 400 people I averaged 18 cocktail parties every weekend night. They drank a lot. Not beer or wine it was the cocktail generation.

I'd assign a nurse to take them back to their suites after they got drunk. They got drunk a lot.

We averaged two or three jumpers a year and a number of suicides by plastic bag and things like that. They were not happy campers. There was a Russian guy there, I'll call him Mr. T He escaped from Russia as a child and crossed a river that had turned red from the blood of the thousands of people shot in it while trying to escape. He was one of the few lucky ones. He held 28 patents in the petrochemical business. One day he offered a nurse $5,000 dollars to take a shower with him. A big fat nurse. She freaked out and almost had him kicked out of the place. But he had more money than god so he stayed.

I think a lot about Mr. T. He was a fun old guy. He had a lot of stories. But he was sad.

I was sitting in Noi bar in Pattaya a couple of years ago when Jack was chased across the street by a bottle wielding princess from Issan. Bum a big fat waitress from the same part of the country rescued him with a right cross to the jaw of his attacker. Knocked her right out there in the middle of the street. Bum was a good old girl. They called her Bum because she liked, well, ah, lets just say she knew an ear syringe is really a multipurpose tool.

Jack was happy to be saved and he had just gotten his pension check so he was flush for a week and bought everyone in the bar drinks. Jack got drunk as usual and we put him on the back of a motorcycle with a bar girl behind him so he wouldn't' fall off. Between the girl and the motorcycle driver they got Jack home and in bed. Since this happened ten times a month it was a regular performance.

Jack was happy. Jack died a few weeks later. He was drunk at home and fell down and hit his head on the coffee table. They found him a couple of day later.

I am not making anything up. The retirement center I managed was always listed as one of the top 5 retirement centers in the world. But no one was happy. Sure there are jumpers in Pattaya but by and large the old folks are 100% happier and better off than the ones in retirement centers or nursing homes regardless of how expensive. They should also legalize opiates for anyone over 80 years of age. Who cares. What, are they afraid they are going to get addicted?

I think a lot more about these kinds than the average person because I spent so much time in a retirement center and put my mother in one after home care almost broke my bank account and her third stroke made home care extremely difficult. I spent $250,000 on my mothers home care. I could use the cash now but that's life. As much as we had talked and made living wills when the end came I still told the doctors to hook her up to tubes and prolong her life. (that means the living wills and all that nonsense don't really amount to a hill of beans). But she died anyway. So I have no guilt and she is happier (you know what I mean) being dead.

I'm a slow learner, I watched the old folks business for 10 years but I am sure the average person could get enough experience just working in one for a few months. Pattaya with all its danger is a better choice.

Perhaps that is why I react or should say over react at the Pattaya bashers or the old age bashers or at the sex nazi's.

The reason retirement homes won't work here on any kind of large scale is health insurance. For old folks in the US and I assume UK and Australia and most parts of Europe health care for old people is free. In the US when the hospital breaks your bank and takes your millions for bills, Medicaid steps in and cares for you for free when you have no money left. They put you in a nursing home, if there is any room, and pay all the bills for daily living and hospital care.

Mark45y, Sir your story really moved me. Thanks for sharing it.

Max2010

[inthepink]

where is the most reputable farang graveyard in Thailand, are there any?

There's quite a few of us buried in Kanchanaburi war cemetery I believe.

[inthepink]

There was indeed a recent news item coming from one of the Pattaya expat clubs making a strong point that a western style funeral service was sorely needed, and practically begging someone with that background to start one.

If you want a Western-style funeral, it can be arranged.

Thanks for the offer but I'd rather wait a while if you don't mind.

[IanForbes]

Good post, Billd766. That is sound advice for anyone over the age of 50. I've had too many friends go without leaving a will. I have mine on a computer and keep updating it every year or so. Then I get a printed copy and have it notarized. I probably should bring a copy with me to Thailand each year when I come for 5 months. I know how crazy the Thai traffic is and in the past year I've had several aquaintances get killed on motorbikes.

[inthepink]

My work will take me out of Chiang Mai and to Bangkok in a couple of weeks. Thank you god.

Being in Chiang Mai is like living in one big old peoples home. Grumpy old farangs that look the other way. Perhaps they have past history that they would rather keep to themselves.

Tell me about it. I made a light-hearted post on the subject in the Chiang Mai forum a couple of months ago and got a frosty reception from a lot of posters. Still, I'm off out for the evening now. Probably end up talking to another 70 year old Dutch guy in an empty bar if it resembles the last night I had out

EDIT: To be fair I quite enjoyed our conversation.

Edited August 25, 2010 by inthepink

[mark45y]

Maybe you should know a little about the people who manage retirement homes, assisted car facilities and nursing homes because it is big business.

Most of the developers have moved out of Canada to the US because of the caps on charges in Canada. Simply put you can make a lot more money in the US on dying people.

In the US homes most try to avoid Medicaid patients because they are not profitable.

Nursing homes can’t afford nurses so they hire nurses aids. It is a low paying job and mainly consists of cleaning up poop. Some nurses aids are good and caring people but not many as it is a very low paying job. Not as low paying as the cooks in nursing homes though. They are really low paid. The management are also not paid well unless you are talking about the profitable ones run by large hotel chains like Marriott.

What does the management do all day long? You would think try and make the old people happy but that’s not the case.

The management worries about federal and state regulations. That’s all they do. There are so many laws regulating the industry that they have no time for anything else.

I once watched three nurses weigh a dead person because they had to have a weight every day. Except that the person was dead it would have been funny. Weighing a dead person is not easy in case you had no experience.

The little time the executives have off from conforming to government regulations is spent with relatives trying to get money out of the old people.

Employees in nursing homes may be as honest as most people but that was not my experience. I had a lot less theft running a strip club than a nursing home. Frankly hookers are easier to work with than nurses but that is only my opinion based on ten years in both industries.

Thailand could become a nursing care hum, I mean hub.

Retirement X would be a nice name for a nursing home run by nurses in short skirts and high heels. The standard of medical care here and in the US is not much different when it comes to old people. It would cost the US government a lot less to farm the care out to Thailand.

If you didn’t know it in Thai hospitals the nurses don’t do much personal care. At least that is my experience. I hired a couple of helpers when I was in a Thai government hospital alone. They were great and after they showered and fed me they flirted with me. They slept on the couch in my room and it was reassuring to wake up in the middle of the night and see someone there. If I felt bad they would go and get a nurse.

I also asked a lady doctor for her phone number and she acted a little bit upset. I only wanted it for further treatment outside of the hospital, (high blood pressure) but she didn’t get my point, I guess. It was in a small town.

[astral]

Can we please stay on topic, which is the elderly in Thailand.

Thank you

Off topic and argumentative posts have been removed.

[rogerman]

Thailand is an easy retirement visa compared to most desirable destinations. That explains it.

I'm retired here and in looking around it seems the Philippines and Malaysia are easier.

That said, would you come here if you had to make a living?

Well I'm not that young but not old yet....can still run around and work my wifes two farms single-handedly tending the 2.5 million Orchids that i'm growing and selling......If i'm feeling old it's no problem to feel young again with all those young, sexy personal helping hands that are queuing up 

[Jonesy99]

For 10 years I ran a retirement center for millionaires...

One of the best posts on TV i have read for a while

I agree, i'll take my chances in SE Asia in later life, I would rather die poor and happy than rich and unhappy.

I lived in the UK for most of my life in London and was constantly ashamed of how elderly people were treated there and how many of them lived, abandoned by family.

When I see an old guy here walking along happily with his 20 something girlfriend, the only thing I think is 'good for you', you decided to come here instead of sitting in a house or bungalow on some estate getting abused by the local youth. I feel sorry for the ones that don't come.

(I'm 37 BTW and happily living in the LOS for many years)

Edited August 25, 2010 by Jonesy99

[fishhooks]

Is the Nana Hotel in Bangkok a type of Retirement Home.

I've stayed there a few times and always see the same guys from different countries who seem to have settled in there well.

[Suradit]

Actually, Thailand needs more retirement homes for expats. We are here and all getting older, the services on offer for the expat elderly are actually quite thin on the ground. Think business opportunity.

Long term care facilities are only a recent development in the economically advanced countries. They are not designed to accommodate the elderly, but to assuage the guilt families might feel about dumping their "loved ones" on an ice floe for the polar bears to eat.

I visited a few quite expensive ones in the US where parents of friends were incarcerated. The facilities were very nice once you recovered from the pervading smell of disinfectant that attempted to smother another smell, the source of which I didn't care to think about. But I felt like I was on the set for some zombie film. If you reach a point in life where Bingo Night is the only thing you have to look forward to, it's time to let go.

In Thailand the best thing to do is get attached to a Thai who really cares about you and/ or has a financial interest in keeping you & your ATM card above ground. Gumming away at khao dtum gai in your own home in the company of someone you know beats having someone pour your meal down a gastric feeding tube no matter how sterile the environment and medically qualified your keepers.

Assuming you don't want to be warehoused in the land of the living dead attached to all sorts of machines with blinking lights and beeping noises, your Thai friend and his/her family can look after you up to a point.

Beyond that point, who cares? If you become Non compos mentis, you won’t know the difference anyway and if your mentis is still compos, you won’t want to be propped in front of a TV watching Thai soap operas 24/7 anyway surrounded by a bunch of old farts flirting with death.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Suradit

[grahamhc]

YEs, and the point is ???

Firstly, are you one?

Secondly, that is my point.

I am also retired, but not the "Cocoa and slippers" type - out most nights. While food and clothes are getting cheaper back "Home", Utilities and taxes are far more, so my pension goes further over here.

Also, if I smile at a girl less than half my age in the street , they don't call the police, saying "pervert" !!

Thailand is an easy retirement visa compared to most desirable destinations. That explains it.

I'm retired here and in looking around it seems the Philippines and Malaysia are easier.

That said, would you come here if you had to make a living?

The Philippines make you feel welcome, with their SRRV indefinite retirement visa costing less money than Thai Immigration want to see for one year. They realise that even pensioners bring money into the local economy.

AND they speak my native tongue - English - EVERYWHERE!!! ..... AND I can read shop signs and other things.

[Suradit]

The Philippines make you feel welcome, with their SRRV indefinite retirement visa costing less money than Thai Immigration want to see for one year. They realise that even pensioners bring money into the local economy.

AND they speak my native tongue - English - EVERYWHERE!!! ..... AND I can read shop signs and other things.

While both the Philippines and Thailand have bouts of domestically inspired political violence, it seems foreigners are more readily the victims of kidnappingas well as being caught in the cross-fire in the Phillipines than in Thailand. And, as the recent airport catastrophe involving the tourists from Hong Kong highlights, the "elite" police there are rather trigger happy regardless of the consequences.

As far as feelings go, I feel welcome in Thailand. The annual cost of extending my retirement visa isn't a major factor in that feeling, but the process of dealing with Immigrations has never struck me as being especially onerous here. Apparently some people want the officers to pat their hand and tell them how loved they are but I feel I can manage without that.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Suradit

[saraburioz]

I noticed that at immigration the other day - the place was full of old codgers.

[Spaniel]

where is the most reputable farang graveyard in Thailand, are there any?

I am not aware that there are ay graveyards in Thailand catering only to farangs. Doesn't sound appealing to me either.

There is a large Catholic cemetary on Silom Road and in Pattaya there is a cemetary behind St Nikolas church. I dont think there is any cemetary reserved for farangs.

[alfieconn]

where is the most reputable farang graveyard in Thailand, are there any?

YesIn 1898 King Rama V granted a plot of land to Chiang Mai's resident Western foreign community. The plot was placed into the care of the resident British Consul. The plot was to be used as a graveyard for foreigners and was granted under two conditions, the plot may never be sold and only foreigners may be buried there.

The graveyard has been in continuous use from 1900 until the present day. I visited yesterday, the first time I took a camera, and took the photos below. I'll add some notes from memory and update some details later when I've got the Foreign Cemetery's Guidebook (De Mortuiis) to hand.

[loser1]

My work will take me out of Chiang Mai and to Bangkok in a couple of weeks. Thank you god.

Being in Chiang Mai is like living in one big old peoples home. Grumpy old farangs that look the other way. Perhaps they have past history that they would rather keep to themselves.

A good business in Chiang Mai would be to open a funeral parlour. But they do seem to hang on once they get here.Maybe do better with a hospice, a type of death row while they are waiting for a visit from the grim reaper.

I thought about that at a funeral in Chiang Mai the other week, there isn't a service that leases out funeral cars, it was a bit undignified to put the coffin in the back of a minibus and take it to the crematorium. An Funeral car business would make money in Chiang Mai definatley.

Yeah definitely.

[tombkk]

My work will take me out of Chiang Mai and to Bangkok in a couple of weeks. Thank you god.

Being in Chiang Mai is like living in one big old peoples home. Grumpy old farangs that look the other way. Perhaps they have past history that they would rather keep to themselves.

A good business in Chiang Mai would be to open a funeral parlour. But they do seem to hang on once they get here.Maybe do better with a hospice, a type of death row while they are waiting for a visit from the grim reaper.

I thought about that at a funeral in Chiang Mai the other week, there isn't a service that leases out funeral cars, it was a bit undignified to put the coffin in the back of a minibus and take it to the crematorium. An Funeral car business would make money in Chiang Mai definatley.

Yeah definitely.

Yeah, definitely nice talk. I know about people who talked about opening a laundry shop at the Costa Del Sol for ten years, and somebody else did it.

I'm not going to invest in a hearse business in Chiang Mai. But if anybody thinks it is a good business, I'd say: Put your money where your mouth is.

[Lammbock]

Question:

As an elderly, are you relay save if you lets say live in Bangkok???

For example:

Lets say you get an heart attack around 6pm ???

Will the Ambulance reach you in Time???

[mahtin]

If Thai TV commercials are to be believed, all you need is the right insurance and a nice lady will direct a helicopter to your mobile phone.

[tombkk]

Question:

As an elderly, are you relay save if you lets say live in Bangkok???

For example:

Lets say you get an heart attack around 6pm ???

Will the Ambulance reach you in Time???

There are quite some good hospitals around. A couple of years ago, I was in a DEP meeting, and the government of the time discussed their five policies to increase exprots (by which they meant any revenue in foreign currency). One of these measures was to promote "medical tourism". I learned that (at the time) there were 10 hospitals in Thailand on international level, most of them in Bangkok but now of course there are more and also in other provinces.

Living in downtown Bangkok, I feel safer here than I would in some European countries that have good reputations but the hospitals are frequented by rats, the surgeons work 36-hour shifts, and so on.

Of course, in Europe a helicopter would pick me up and here it might be a problem getting medical attention quickly. I guess you can't have all.

I'm not elderly yet, and maybe I'll change my mind. At this moment, I feel safe here.

Oh, and an elderly German friend passed away recently at 80-something. In Germany. He fell down the stairs and the doctors couldn't help him any more. Had this happened in Thailand, fingers might have been pointed. I say: When my time is up, it doesn't matter where I am. And I feel very safe in the hands of Thai doctors (in those hospitals on international level).

In fact, you are bringing up a good point. I think it's controversial. Maybe you should have opened a new thread for it. ;-)

[Peterbigeyes]

If Thai TV commercials are to be believed, all you need is the right insurance and a nice lady will direct a helicopter to your mobile phone.

LOL! and yea, I love the commericals here

[Lammbock]

Question:

As an elderly, are you relay save if you lets say live in Bangkok???

For example:

Lets say you get an heart attack around 6pm ???

Will the Ambulance reach you in Time???

There are quite some good hospitals around. A couple of years ago, I was in a DEP meeting, and the government of the time discussed their five policies to increase exprots (by which they meant any revenue in foreign currency). One of these measures was to promote "medical tourism". I learned that (at the time) there were 10 hospitals in Thailand on international level, most of them in Bangkok but now of course there are more and also in other provinces.

Living in downtown Bangkok, I feel safer here than I would in some European countries that have good reputations but the hospitals are frequented by rats, the surgeons work 36-hour shifts, and so on.

Of course, in Europe a helicopter would pick me up and here it might be a problem getting medical attention quickly. I guess you can't have all.

I'm not elderly yet, and maybe I'll change my mind. At this moment, I feel safe here.

Oh, and an elderly German friend passed away recently at 80-something. In Germany. He fell down the stairs and the doctors couldn't help him any more. Had this happened in Thailand, fingers might have been pointed. I say: When my time is up, it doesn't matter where I am. And I feel very safe in the hands of Thai doctors (in those hospitals on international level).

In fact, you are bringing up a good point. I think it's controversial. Maybe you should have opened a new thread for it. ;-)

Thanks Dude,

You know, i see it almost every day. Stuck in the Bangkok rush hour. No matter morning or evening. Coming down from the Tollway, Soi 3 or Sukhumvit.

Nothing moves forward or backward.

...and than, suddenly. The AMBULANCE trying to reach some poor one in a big emergency. I always say to my self: Will he/she make it???

Its so sad that many life are depending on traffic condition.

Yes, the Hospitals in Bangkok and some provinces are very good and on international standard as you say. BUT what this all matters if they can't reach you in time???

You have to consider that also small injures which are not dangerous but if not handled in time will leading you to death just because the Ambulance can't make it.

I guess it happens every week in BKK, for sure.

Best Regards,

Lammbock

Edited August 31, 2010 by Lammbock

[tombkk]

Question:

As an elderly, are you relay save if you lets say live in Bangkok???

For example:

Lets say you get an heart attack around 6pm ???

Will the Ambulance reach you in Time???

There are quite some good hospitals around. A couple of years ago, I was in a DEP meeting, and the government of the time discussed their five policies to increase exprots (by which they meant any revenue in foreign currency). One of these measures was to promote "medical tourism". I learned that (at the time) there were 10 hospitals in Thailand on international level, most of them in Bangkok but now of course there are more and also in other provinces.

Living in downtown Bangkok, I feel safer here than I would in some European countries that have good reputations but the hospitals are frequented by rats, the surgeons work 36-hour shifts, and so on.

Of course, in Europe a helicopter would pick me up and here it might be a problem getting medical attention quickly. I guess you can't have all.

I'm not elderly yet, and maybe I'll change my mind. At this moment, I feel safe here.

Oh, and an elderly German friend passed away recently at 80-something. In Germany. He fell down the stairs and the doctors couldn't help him any more. Had this happened in Thailand, fingers might have been pointed. I say: When my time is up, it doesn't matter where I am. And I feel very safe in the hands of Thai doctors (in those hospitals on international level).

In fact, you are bringing up a good point. I think it's controversial. Maybe you should have opened a new thread for it. ;-)

Thanks Dude,

You know, i see it almost every day. Stuck in the Bangkok rush hour. No matter morning or evening. Coming down from the Tollway, Soi 3 or Sukhumvit.

Nothing moves forward or backward.

...and than, suddenly. The AMBULANCE trying to reach some poor one in a big emergency. I always say to my self: Will he/she make it???

Its so sad that many life are depending on traffic condition.

Yes, the Hospitals in Bangkok and some provinces are very good and on international standard as you say. BUT what this all matters if they can't reach you in time???

You have to consider that also small injures which are not dangerous but if not handled in time will leading you to death just because the Ambulance can't make it.

I guess it happens every week in BKK, for sure.

Best Regards,

Lammbock

Your avatar doesn't look like it, but you do speak like a Western man. I am confused.

But anyway: An ambulance over here is a vehicle to move a sick person from one hospital to another. They have some kind of lightbar and a weak, almost apoligizing kind of siren, more like a horn. They get stuck in traffic jams and stop at red lights.

A rescue vehicle, on the other hand, has a completely different kind of siren. People get out of the way for it, and I have seen drivers making a "rescue lane" (if that is the correct word in English) for them at several occasions. I have seen these rescue vehicles jump red lights (carefully while vehicles from other directions respected the special siren), and I have seen policemen at intersection change the traffic light phase to accommodate these rescue vehicles. (Of course, I live in Bangkok. It may be different in the provinces.)

No, it doesn't go as smooth as in the West yet. This is a developing country but believe me, I have seen huge development in the past 20 years since I moved here.